Tiny rubber bands or small, fine wires, known as ligatures, hold the wire to the bracket. If a rubber ligature should come off, you may be able to put it back in place using sterile tweezers. If a wire ligature comes loose, simply remove it with sterile tweezers.

If your wire ligature is sticking out into the lip but is not loose, you can bend it back down with a Q-tip or pencil eraser, so it doesn’t irritate your lip. Of course, when one ligature pops off or breaks, others may follow.

Be sure to examine all ligatures. Missing or broken ligatures should be brought to the attention of Dr. Chandler or Dr. Anderson. If a rubber or wire ligature is lost, tell Dr. Chandler and Dr. Anderson so he can advise whether you should be seen.

If your braces come loose in any way, call Dr. Anderson or Dr. Chandler to determine the next steps.

Brackets are the parts of braces attached to teeth with a special adhesive. They are generally positioned in the center of each tooth. The bracket can be knocked off if you've eaten one of those hard or crunchy foods you are instructed to avoid, or if the mouth is struck while at play.

We encourage all patients, especially those with braces, to wear a protective mouthguard while playing sports.

If the bracket is off-center, the adhesive may have failed. In this instance, it is best to immediately notify Dr. Chandler or Dr. Anderson, who will determine the course of action.

If the loose bracket has rotated on the wire and is sticking out and you can't come to our office immediately, you can do a temporary fix to alleviate discomfort and prevent further damage, but take care to prevent swallowing or another injury.

To put the bracket back in place, use sterile tweezers to slide the bracket along the wire until it is between two teeth.